The Chew with Chelsea: 5 Cheese Macaroni
Leave that box of Kraft Mac & Cheese in the cupboard where it belongs because I have an awesome and easy recipe that your kids are sure to love.
I stumbled upon this recipe by complete accident. I have always made homemade mac & cheese but there was always something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on and last night I found the missing ingredient... PEPPERJACK CHEESE.
I always used a blend of Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, and Mozzarella cheeses. But I decided to switch it up when I stopped at my favorite local grocer, Cattle & Cream, and grabbed a bag of Pepper Jack cheese and boy am I glad I did.
Ingredients:
- 1 Eight oz bag of Sharp Cheddar
- 1 Eight oz bag of Colby Jack
- 1 Eight oz bag of Monterey Jack
- 1 Eight oz bag of Mozzarella
- 1 Eight oz Bag of Pepperjack
- 1 cup of Butter
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp of Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp of Paprika
- 1 box of elbow noodles
- 16 oz carton of Heavy Whipping Cream
Preparation: Grab a huge bowl and mix your cheeses together. 2 cups of Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, and Sharp cheddar. I used the whole bag of PepperJack cheese for this recipe.
- Step ONE: Melt your butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. (Side Note: This cheese sauce is like a needy girlfriend so you'll have to keep an eye on it at all times throughout this cooking process so it doesn't burn.)
- Once your butter has melted, slowly pour in the heavy cream, I use about half of the carton to start and leave the other half in case your sauce is too thick.
- Step TWO: After pouring half of the whipping cream into the saucepan and letting it simmer, you want to slowly start to add your cheeses.
- I literally just take small handfuls to start and sprinkle it in with the heavy cream while constantly stirring. You will repeat this as the cheese sauce thickens. As you're adding in the cheeses, you can always add in, little by little, more heavy cream.
- Step THREE: Once all the cheeses have melted, reduce to low heat, and let simmer. Don't forget to stir!
- Step FOUR: I won't tell you how to boil your noodles because that is self-explanatory but after your noodles are cooked, pour the sauce in little by little and Bon Appetite!
Chicago Bears Support Rockford Youth Players with Giveaways and Prizes for Competing Athletes
Helping local youth football players sharpen their skills in a fun yet responsible way is more important than ever especially during a global pandemic. Youth need ways to stay active and engaged which is why the Rockford Park District and USA Football are teaming up for a special event.
A free USA Football Kick, Throw & Go™ Skills Challenge will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 5:30 p.m. CT at Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park (2004 Ogilby Rd., Rockford, 61101). More than 100 boys and girls age 5-14 from across Rockford and neighboring communities will take the field in three age divisions for an exciting night of football. Prizes and giveaways for all participating youth players will be provided by the Chicago Bears. USA Football, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, is the Bears’ official youth football development partner.
The Rockford Park District’s 2020 youth football season has been modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oct. 7 USA Football Kick, Throw & Go event is the league’s first competitive football outing of the season. To mitigate virus spread, Rockford Park District youth football will be confined to intra-squad scrimmages only this fall.
As part of USA Football’s Return to Youth Football Initiative, Kick, Throw & Go features six skill stations highlighting passing, running, and kicking. Each skill is aligned with USA Football’s Football Development Model, a skill-learning progression designed especially for young athletes centered on fun, fundamentals and safer play.
USA Football Kick, Throw & Go Skills Challenge skill stations include the following:
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“A hidden consequence of this pandemic is how kids have missed their favorite sports in addition to the mental and physical health benefits that they provide,” said USA Football Executive Director and CEO SCOTT HALLENBECK. “This is why we created Kick, Throw & Go, as part of our Football Development Model player pathway. This is a fun, exciting and responsible way for kids and families across Rockford to win back time together on the field.”
“I’m glad USA Football created Kick, Throw & Go,” said LAMONT JONES, Rockford Park District youth sports and community outreach manager. “We’re pleased to be among the dozens of youth programs across 20 states hosting this event. The direction and procedures USA Football has put in place offers a tremendous opportunity for Rockford-area kids. We’re excited to have the Bears be part of this special night as well and appreciate their generosity in recognizing our players and families.”
About the Rockford Park District: The Rockford Park District improves the quality of life for citizens by providing a vibrant and relevant park system that increases property values, stimulates economic development, decreases juvenile crime, and improves our community’s health. A vibrant and relevant park system also protects the environment, employs hundreds of area teens, and brings our diverse community together in unity, through the common love of play.
About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental, and competitive programs to advance, unify and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy, and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school, and other amateur players.
Beloit Coffee Shop Encouraging Others to 'Pay it Forward'
Most of us are familiar with the saying, "Pay it Foward," and is used to encourage a random act of kindness where you don't get anything in return. Blue Collar Coffee in Beloit has now adopted this concept and made it their own.
About two years ago, in the Gateway of Wisconsin, Blue Collar Coffee opened its doors with one of the novelties of this small chain being its pay it forward wall.
If you walk in and purchase a cup of coffee, at the front of the register you will find vintage time punch cards. These cards allow you to purchase a cup of coffee for someone else.
Blue Collar Coffee supervisor Cheria Gillespie says, "We'll let people know if they buy a coffee, we'll tell them 'hey there's a coffee here for ya."
It could be a family member, friend, co-worker, or even a complete stranger. If you want to pay it forward to someone else and grab a cup of coffee, head to Blue Collar Coffee, located on 408 Pleasant Street in Beloit.
Anderson Automotive Group Donating to Local Charities
It's always nice to hear stories of different businesses in the area giving back to the community. The Anderson Automotive Group is celebrating 50 years of new car sales and service with a tribute of thank you and pledge to the community by donating $50,000 to local charities in 2020.
Donations of $5,000 already have been given to The Veteran’s Drop-In Center, Rock River Valley Food Pantry, Alpine Kiwanis of Rockford, Youth Services Network Rockford, and Carrie Lynn Children’s Center and will continue through December 2020.
Fill out the online nomination form below. Choose the Anderson dealership closest to you in the dropdown and fill out the comment section and tell them the name of the charity, contact info, website, what they do for our community, and how they could use a $5,000 donation.
Entry forms are available at all Anderson locations or www.driveanderson.com/50-years and must be returned to any Anderson Automotive Group location. Non-winners can reapply each month to qualify.
Grease and Rocky Horror Picture Show Playing at McHenry Outdoor Theater
Drive-in Movies have been making a comeback and are a perfect way to spend time with the family while socially distancing.
This Friday & Saturday, September 25th and 26th, is "Musical Favorites Weekend" with "Grease" followed by The 45th Anniversary of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"! At the Mchenry Outdoor Theater.
The Gates open at 6:30 PM and tickets are $12/Adults and $6 for children ages 11 and under/Senior Citizens ages 60+/Current and Former Members of our US Military.
Remember to bring and use your facemasks when you are using the washrooms, if you must leave your parking area and if you visit the concession stand. You can find more info at the McHenry Outdoor Theater's website.
New Dessert Shop Now Open in Rockford
Whether you're craving ice cream, cotton candy, or just want to pick out some candy, you can find it all at the new dessert shop that opened in Rockford.
Sweet N' Eats, located right off Walton Street and Perryville Road, and now open from 11 am until 9 pm. This might be a new location but the sweet shop itself actually isn't new at all.
Sweet N' Eats used to be called La Fiesta Candies which was located right next to Chuck E. Cheese on East State Street. Their tasty treats will still remain the same but the store workers say they wanted to try a new location.
On top of plenty of sweets that the store is selling, they are also now serving authentic Mexican food!
Pumpkin Pancakes & Apple Cider Mimosas... OH MY!
It's the most wonderful time of the year... Happy Fall Y'all! The one thing I love most about this time of the year is all the apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice flavored treats... oh and the foliage of the leaves on the trees!
I quickly made brunch plans, when I saw, Eggsclusive Cafe 2 debuted their Pumpkin Pancakes and Apple Cider Mimosas... and let me tell you, they did NOT disappoint.
Normally my go-to at Eggsclusive 2 Cafe is the Cinnabomb French Toast, and they are so delish. But these Pumpkin Pancakes are so fluffy and delectable and come with a cinnamon butter which really brings out the pumpkin flavoring, making it taste exactly like pumpkin pie! YUM!
Don't even think twice about it, you have to pair the pancakes with an Apple Cider Mimosa, it's a perfect addition to your brunch experience.
Rockford Roots in NFL
The 2020 NFL season is officially here and we have 3 former star athletes from our area already making an impact at the next level! Here’s a quick update
Lutheran Crusader-Illinois State Redbirds-Jacksonville Jaguars
RB James Robinson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jaguars and after being named the Week One starter vs the Indianapolis Colts, Robinson put on a show in his debut.
Sunday Stats: 16 carries 62 rushing yards to along with 28 receiving yards on 1 catch. Robinson helped lead his team to a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Boylan Titan-University of Wisconsin-Platteville-Arizona Cardinals
After spending the last 2 years with the New Orleans Saints Dan Arnold has found a home in Arizona as the starting TE.
Sunday Stats: 2 receptions for 21 yards on 2 targets in a 24-20 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers
Boylan Titan-Northwestern Wildcat-Green Bay Packers
After signing a 3 year $20.3 million dollar extension last offseason Dean Lowry helped lead the Packers defense to a 43-34 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Also, former Harlem & TCU OT Anthony McKinney signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans but decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL Season. Former Lutheran & Iowa TE Nate Wieting was waived by the Miami Dolphins, just missing out on the 53 man roster cut.
At the College Level:
Harlem Huskie-Syracuse Orange Defensive linemen Joshua Black
Last week in Syracuse’s season opener Joshua Black had 2 solo tackles, 5 in total, 2 tackles for loss & 1 sack in a 31-6 loss to North Carolina.
~Jordan Goethe
Man Bundt Bakery whips up vegan treats in Roscoe
If you have certain allergies and can't enjoy sweets like everyone else, then you need to check out this new bakery in Roscoe that is creating outstanding treats. In July of 2020, Man Bundt Bakery opened and specializes in hand-crafted birthday and event cakes.
This local business can whip up anything from burritos to sushi rolls and make sure the cake you are celebrating with is specialized and delicious.
The best part, for those with allergies, this facility is peanut-free and every product this bakery uses comes from a peanut-free factory! The most exciting part is that you can have a part in how your event cake is designed, says owner, Andy Skupien.
He goes on by saying, "Not only are you buying an awesome cake for your kid, but you also are highly invested in designing that cake. And that's a really fun aspect of this whole thing."
If you would like to discuss design options, receive a quote, or place an order on a cake you can connect with Man Bundt Bakery on its Facebook page or email him at manbundtbakery@yahoo.com.
Ronit's Kitchen to Shut Its Doors on September 30th
Due to the pandemic, many local restaurants unfortunately have been forced to close their doors, some temporarily and some permanently. This is the case for one restaurant in Downtown Rockford.
Ronit's Kitchen, located inside the Madison St. entrance of the Indoor City Market, announced on their Facebook on Thursday, September 10th that they will close their doors on September 30th.
Ronit and Roni Golan said, "I hope that I will be able to return to preparing food in the near future and cater events. We are not giving up, though." They continued on their Facebook by saying, "Cooking and baking are my passion and it is something I will always do, whether I have a restaurant or not. Meanwhile, for those of you that love my food, now it is the right time to show us your support as we were hit very hard financially as well."
It is with a heavy heart that I am informing you, my loyal customers that Ronit’s Kitchen will be closing our doors on...
Posted by Ronit's Kitchen on Thursday, September 10, 2020